Do Not Regret

Lin Shao sketched out a grand blueprint in his mind, but his outward expression remained composed. He said to Hou Xingyue, “Tell me a bit about your story with her.”

Hou Xingyue asked, “Doesn’t the Shopkeeper already know everything? Is there a need for me to speak?”

Lin Shao chuckled twice. “I am a man, not a god. With a single glance, I can only calculate the rough outline of your past.”

After speaking, he glanced at Mu Li. She sat as motionless as if she were in deep meditation, seemingly indifferent to him taking credit for her ability to read Past Aspects.

I’ll take that as tacit permission, Lin Shao thought, turning back to Hou Xingyue. “I can give you some advice on pursuing that lady, but first, I need to know the specifics of your situation. Don’t lie to me this time.”

The last sentence was a subtle hint toward Hou Xingyue’s earlier attempt to hide his status as an outer disciple.

Hou Xingyue was surprised that a senior like the Shopkeeper would offer dating advice. He had assumed that cultivation seniors were usually aloof and looked down on outer disciples like him. Yet, this “Senior Shopkeeper,” knowing full well his low status, treated him with the warmth of a friend. He was deeply moved and flattered.

“To be able to see through my experiences with just a glance… that is already incredible,” Hou Xingyue rubbed his nose and began his story. “Li Zhuwen and I did know each other as children, but we weren’t exactly friends. I lost my parents very young and lived on the streets. When I was nine, I was taken in by Old Man Qiu. He was the butler of the Li Manor, so I followed him there to serve as a page.”

“Perhaps because we were close in age, I was assigned to serve the eldest young miss—Li Zhuwen. Over time, she grew familiar with me. Later, the Wan Jian Pavilion noticed her talent. The Sect Master personally visited the manor, and the Young Miss joined the Pavilion.”

“Once she left, I had nothing to do in the manor. Old Man Qiu suggested I go to the Wan Jian Pavilion as well to learn some skills, saying it was better than being a servant for life. Unfortunately, I had no talent and was filtered out. Luckily, the Young Miss said a few words to the Sect Master on my behalf, and I was allowed to stay as an outer disciple.”

He scratched his head, his smile turning bitter. “Actually, I’m well aware of the gap between us. As the saying goes, ‘families should be of equal standing.’ Between the Young Miss and me, there is a gap as wide as heaven and earth.”

“She has many suitors in the Wan Jian Pavilion, and many from the Sword Sect side as well. They are all outstanding—rich families, great strength, handsome faces. Any one of them is ten thousand times better than me.”

“When I first heard you offer to help, Shopkeeper, I was truly happy. I thought a powerful person like you could just give me a few pointers and I’d be transformed, outshining all the others and winning her heart… Haha, how could it be that simple? Saying it out loud makes it sound even more ridiculous than I imagined.”

His smile faded, replaced by a profound loneliness. “To be honest, I’m grateful for your kindness, but I know my own weight. More than wanting to ‘win’ her, I just want her to be happy. Instead of wasting effort on me, perhaps you could guide the Young Miss instead? She is a hundred times smarter than I am, maybe…”

Before he could finish, Lin Shao raised a hand to interrupt him. Looking at Hou Xingyue, Lin Shao saw his own past self—the hesitant, timid, self-deprecating version of himself that ended in regret.

He didn’t want this tragedy to repeat itself.

He didn’t say much; he simply asked softly: “If you do nothing, will you regret it?”

Hou Xingyue fell silent. He was more mature than his peers; while others were still being coddled by their parents, he was already struggling in the world. He understood the gaps—talent, family, future. Because of this, he held no expectations; he dared not hold them.

But the shopkeeper’s question pierced his heart. If I do nothing, will I regret it? When the Young Miss puts on her wedding red to marry another, and he stands in the crowd, having done nothing, shouting his congratulations… would he regret it?

The answer was unmistakable.

“Yes!” He looked at Lin Shao. After another moment of silence, he finally asked, “What should I do so I won’t regret it?”

Lin Shao smiled. “Do everything you can.”

“Do everything I can…” Hou Xingyue repeated the words under his breath, chanting them until they were etched into his bones. He looked up again—anxious, lost, but hopeful. “Can you… help me?”

Seeing the fire reignite in the boy’s eyes, Lin Shao’s lips curled into a smirk as he nodded.

“I can.”

In front of a towering palace, before its tightly shut gates, stood a young girl. She had chubby cheeks and long hair trailing to her waist—a very cute child, looking like someone’s most pampered daughter. However, her brow was slightly furrowed with a maturity that didn’t match her appearance. A longsword, half a head taller than her, floated in the air beside her, creating a surreal image.

She was the Sect Master of the Wan Jian Pavilion, Shao Qingnü.

She gazed into the distance. After a few breaths, a black-haired woman with an icy aura appeared. With steps that covered ten meters at a time, she quickly arrived at the girl’s side.

“Greetings, Master.” This was Li Zhuwen. Upon stopping, she first performed a formal salute.

“You’re finally here. Where did you run off to?” Shao Qingnü grumbled. Not giving Li Zhuwen time to explain, she hurried on, “We are about to see the Emperor. You are smart, so I don’t have much to warn you about. Just remember: when the Emperor asks you something, answer. And answer truthfully.”

Li Zhuwen nodded expressionlessly. “Yes, disciple understands.”

Shao Qingnü composed herself and pushed open the massive gates. Li Zhuwen followed, each of her steps a uniform length, maintaining a precise half-meter distance behind her master.

The interior of the palace was staggeringly magnificent. The vaulted ceiling felt vast enough to hold the sky. Thick red pillars lined the hall, carved with lifelike dragons and phoenixes. Their footsteps echoed through the hollow space.

After about a hundred steps, Shao Qingnü saw the rising dais. At the top sat a woman. Her attire was dark gold with embroidered golden silk. Black feathers encircled her shoulders, and her belt was crafted from dragon scales. Her long legs were crossed, clad in glossy leather-like stockings that perfectly traced the curve of her calves and thighs. Her boots were adorned with spreading phoenix wings, a rhombus pearl embedded in the center of each.

Endless luxury, ultimate authority. She was the Eternal Empress who looked down upon the world, the Monarch of Great Shang: Di Yao.

Facing this woman, Shao Qingnü’s heart was a whirlpool of emotions. Long ago, cultivation sects and mortal empires had little to do with one another. More accurately, sects stood above nations. If a monarch wanted to see a Sect Master, they had to visit in person.

But three hundred years ago, Di Yao became the Ruler of Great Shang. In a crushing display of power, she eliminated all other nations and unified the human race.

Since Di Yao, the line between the mortal world and the cultivation world blurred. Many cultivators joined the imperial court to serve her, and the sects that opposed her were, without exception, crushed.

The Wan Jian Pavilion had once opposed her because the previous Sect Master was a close friend of a king whose country Di Yao destroyed. Under the previous Master’s orders, the Pavilion frequently defied the Great Shang government.

The result of that defiance was that she was now the current Sect Master.

Thus, Shao Qingnü’s feelings toward Di Yao were complex—a mix of admiration, resentment, and, most of all, fear.

When Di Yao sent word for her to bring the Ethereal Void Sword, her heart had been in a panic.

Because there was a problem with the sword… She didn’t want to come, but she didn’t dare refuse.